Basic Information on applying for Social Security Benefits for Children

Child security is a common concern for parents who are financially unstable due to the inability to acquire work or because the benefits they originally receive from Social Security, health, or disability is not enough to support a young child.

The necessities of life is an important thing for the survival of the child in this world, hence the parents want only the best for their children, and applying for social security benefits for children is generally an easy process, but as with any “security benefit” for that matter, it requires tremendous patience and recognition of how the system works to properly make your child qualified for the government stipend.

Here are the basic requirements for a child to qualify for the benefit:

• A parent who is entitled to Social Security Benefits.
• A parent who died and has enough contribution to Social Security.
• Unmarried
• Below 18 or
• 18-19 years of age and a full-time student or
• 18 and above AND disabled (acquiring disability before the age of 22)

It is clear that the requirements are looking for a child who cannot really support himself without adequate supervision from a guardian, more so a constant financial supply for him to survive. Hence application for benefits for children will mitigate the material problems of the child.

To apply for child benefits, bring the following to your nearest Social Security office:

1. Child’s birth certificate
2. Social security number of parents
3. Proof of parents’ death (for survivor benefits)
4. Proof of parents’ disability (for disability benefits)

The process can be a little bit as tedious as any social security claim, with denials surfacing every now and then. But patience can be rewarding because the child will ultimately receive the full retirement or disability stipend of the deceased or disabled parent.

But not every benefit is as good as it sounds. By the time the child reaches the age of 18, he will be then disqualified to receive the benefits unless he has the following characteristics:

• He is still in elementary or secondary school.
• For this sub-characteristic, it is important to submit immediately to the Social Security office a proof that the child is, indeed, still studying at the levels mentioned. School officials will be checked by Social Security officers.
• He is disabled.
• He is qualified for disability benefits if he is found out to be sufficiently disabled with hindrances to his “major life activities”.

These qualifications are designed to protect further those who are in need of the insurance further until they are capable of providing for themselves, or in cases of disability, to assist them in living out a life of a normal person.